Flexible can conveyer



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L. W. WATERS FLEXIBLE CAN CONVEYER Filed Feb. 9, 1925 l l IIIAIU Aug. 191924.

'Aug. 19 1924.

L. W. WATERS FLEXIBLE CAN CONVEYER Filed Feb Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES LAWRENCE W. WATERS, OF KINGSBURG, CALIFORNIA.

FLEXIBLE CAN CONVEYER.

Application filed February 9, 1923. Serial No. 618,079.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE W. FVATERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kingsburg, in the county of Fresno and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Flexible Can Conveyers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in flexible can conveyers and hasparticular reference to that type of conveyer commonly employed incanneries and the like wherein the cans are adapted to roll down theconveycr to a suitable discharge point.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a conveyer whichmay be flexed in order to accommodate for various conditions existingwhere the conveyor is to be employed.

Another object is to produce a device of this character which is simplein construction, cheap to manufacture and therefore well within thepurchase price of the average user. I

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which isrigid in construction and therefore will stand the hard usage incidentto work of this character.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to. designate like partsthroughoutthe same,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my device,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1, partly broken away,

Figure 3 is a cross section of my device, showing a can rolling thereintaken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4C 1 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1.,

Figure 6 is a detail perspective fragmentary view of one of the sideplates,

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a conveying system employing my device,and

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a truck for supporting my device.

Applicant is aware of the fact that conveyers have been employed, theobject of which was to convey cans from one place to another, but asthese conveyers were of a rigid construction, it has been foundimpossible to employ them in many places where room is limited as theyare built only upon certain arcs, and therefore cannot be flexed toaccommodate themselves to the various conditions.

I have sought to overcome this ditliculty by providing a conveyor whichmay be bent to any desired degree, thereby allowing the same to beaccommodated to local conditions.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals'5 and 6 referto end members and the numerals 7 and 8 to flexible side plates. Theseside plates are rigidly secured to the end piece 5 as by rivets 9 (seeFigs. 2 and 3).

The opposite ends of these side plates 7 and 8 are slidably secured tothe end 6 as is best shown in Figures 1 and 2, thus pro-viding for theincreasing and decreasing lengths of the opposite sides as the device asa whole is bent to conform to any desired arc.

Equally spaced between these side plates are plates as indicated by thenumeral 11. These plates are each provided with a pivoted bolt 12centrally positioned therein and are spaced one from the other as bylongitudinal spacers 13. It is to be understood that these spacers havetheir opposite ends mounted upon bolts 12. Positioned beneath and spacedfrom the structure thus far described, is positioned a series of crosslinks. As these links between each one of the spacers is exactly alike,but one set will be described.

By referring to Figures 1 and 5. it will be noted that bolts 14 and 16pierce the end piece 6 and serve to mount tubular spacers 17 thereon.Pivoted to each one of these bolts is a link as shown at 18 and 19.These links have their opposite ends secured to bolts 21 and 22, whichbolts pierce the cross piece 11 as best shown in Figure 4;.

The tubular spacers 17 are likewise placed upon these bolts 21 and 22,as are also the ends of the next succeeding links.

A U-shaped frame 23 is also secured to the bolts 21 and 22. By referringto Figures 1 and 6, it will be noted that the side plates 7 and 8 areprovided with angle iron pieces 24, the purpose of which is to contactthe under side of the plates 11 thereby preventing withdrawal of theside pieces from their proper position as best shown in Figures 1 and4:.

At 27 and 28 I have shown coiled springs all .lie within a given are.

Which serve as tracks over which the cans are adapted to roll. Thesecoiled springs are attached to each plate by connectors as shown inFigures 4: and 5.

The operation of my device is as follows Assuming that the parts arearranged as shown in Figure 1, it will be apparent that by grasping theend 6 that the same may be flexed as shown; in full or dotted lines inFigure 7, and that providing a suit-- able roller support similar tothat shown in Figure 8, that the same may be easily moved from place toplace-as conditions require. As the side toward the outside of thecircle increases, the side plate, for instance, 7 will i be withdrawnfrom its position in the end 6 so. as-to assume a greater length and atthe same time the cross links 18 and 19 will function to cause each ofthe plates to move upon a given arc so that the bolts 12 will As theside changes its position with respect to the plates 11 it will be foundthat the angle iron pieces 24 will slide beneath the plates and therebyprevent inis-alignment or withdrawal of the sides, and at the same timethe tracks, due to the fact that they are made of springs willaccommodate themselves to the changes set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a device of thecharacter described,

asubstantially U-shaped end piece, flexible from-each other, a secondend piece adapted to telescope the free ends of said side pieces andflexible means connecting said end pieces and said spaced plates.

2. In a device of the character described, a substantially U-shaped endpiece, flexible side pieces rigidly secured to said end piece,

a second end piece slidably attached to said flexible side pieces,plates interposed between said end pieces and spaced from each other,pivoted cross pieces interposed between each. of said plates andadditional pivoted cross pieces secured to each of said end pieces andthe adjacent'plates and flex ible tracks secured to said end pieces andsaid plates. 7

3. In a device of the character described, a substantially U-shaped endpiece, flexible side plates secured to said end piece, a plurality ofplates spaced from said end piece, cross links pivoted to each of saidplates and to the next adjacent plate, cross links pivoted to said endpiece and the adjacent plate, U-shaped members positioned beneath saidcross pieces and having their arms extending parallel with said sidepieces and angle members secured to said side plates and adapted to passbeneath said plates, substantially as and for the purpose Specified.

4. In a device of the character described, a substantially U-shaped endpiece, flexible side plates secured to said end piece. a plurality ofplates spaced from said endpiece, cross links pivoted to each of saidplates and to the next adjacent plate, cross links pivoted to said endpiece and the adjacent.

plate, U-shaped members positioned beneath said cross pieces andhavingtheir arms extending parallel with said side pieces and angle memberssecured to said side pieces and adapted to pass, beneath said plates, asecond end piece slidably engaging the free ends of said side plates,flexible tracks mounted on and extending throughout the length of saiddevice and longitudinal spacers pivoted to each adjacent plate and tosaid end pieces. 7 I

In testimony whereof I aifixmy signature.

- LAWRENCE W. WATERS.

